History of the Trap: January Campaigns Part 2

2

It might be foolish to call them political parties.  But there were definite coalitions forming.  I was slow to recognize them.  There was only one day left to put your name in to run, I had not done so, and I had no plans to do so.

I went to the typing room that afternoon.  I was still not a great typist, but I learned to cope as so much of what I did revolve around writing.  Even writing a soap that only ran for ten minutes twice a week was quite a typing burden.  No one was measuring my speed anymore, but I certainly hoped I was clocking in at more than the 12 word per minute speed I had in Freshman Typing.  I tried to use the limited supply of paper cautiously.  It seemed rather silly that a soap opera would be a priority use of paper, but there you go.

Detective Haskins had gone off the radar again, this time investigating murder leads in Detroit.  Yes, no one yet knew who had killed Judge MacKenzie.  I had introduced a character, Sammy Sellyman, a tall janitor with a nasty temper.  The idea would be that he would turn out to be the murderer, but he is able to beat the charges because his cousin is Dr. Scott. Yes, it was dangerously close to Robert Pelley and his escaping conviction, so I had not pulled the trigger on it yet.  But it was there, in my mind.  Oh, yes, it was.

I was by myself, typing away, moving ever closer to revealing the janitor as the murderer, when Artie and my sister, Diane, came in.  I wasn't to seeing those two together.  Artie had briefly dated my sister before her current boyfriend, Mike, and it did not end well.  She seemed very aggravated with him, but I chose not to take sides or look at it closely.  I was relieved when it was over, as I wasn't thrilled with my best friend being involved with my sister.

They sat down near me.  "Lance, we have to talk."

This was certainly disquieting.  "Are you too getting involved again?" I asked, only half serious.

Diane gave a scoffing laugh.  "No.  Not even if he were the last guy left in the Trap!"

That was a little harsh.  There must have been more bitterness there than I suspected.  So that just made more curious as to what would drive them together.

"Things are serious, Lance.  I'm coming here as your best friend, and Diane is coming as your sister, to plead with you to do what is in the best interest of the school," said Artie, talking as serious to me as I had  ever seen him.

"And our Dad, too, Lance," added Diane.

"My Dad is on his own," I said, turning away from both of them to resume typing, trying to write down words that were no longer coming to me.

"Look, I know you're upset, and I don't blame you," said my sister.  "I wanted to see Robert Pelley convicted and strung up.  But you know Dad.  He had to be fair with what was set before him.  Maybe if somebody works at the evidence again, it can be reopened."

"Oh, really?" I derisively replied.  "Have you ever heard of a little thing called Double Jeopardy?  You can't try someone twice for the same crime!"

"Hey, Lance," chimed in Artie.  "Have you realized yet we're not really in America anymore?"

"Hey, Artie," I continued.  "Haven't you heard what a stick up his butt my Dad has for protocol and following rules?"

My sister popped up in anger, and slapped me on the face. It wasn't very hard, but it did startle me.  I had not expected that from her.  She turned to leave but Artie grabbed her hand.  "No! You can't leave!  This is too important and we have to get through to him!"

"What do you two want?" I asked.  "What is so urgent you have to interrupt me writing this stupid soap that seems to be more important to people than incarcerating Lisa's killer?"

Diane sat back down, her face flush with anger.  Artie began their talk. 

"You do realize they're organizing against us, right.  There's a group centered on Mark Granite that is determined to take over the student council.  He has his lackeys and halfwits running in all the classes, including the new Graduate group.  There are enough of them to take over all twenty-one seats, including Mark Granite running for Student Council President."

"Student Council President?  Since when is that elected by popular vote?" I asked.

Boy, you are out of it!" replied Artie.  "Were you not listening at the last council meeting you attended?  Did you not remember the resolution that passed for this? "

"No, I guess I don't remember."  I didn't really focus on anything they talked about.  I was filled with too much anger. "Is Robert Pelley running?"

"No," answered Artie.  "He hasn't put in his name, and I don't think he will.  I don't think Granite is that stupid, but that doesn't mean Pelley won't be involved."

That was relief.  "Who is opposing Mark Granite for Student Council President?"

"Jan Houser," said Artie.

I grimaced.  "She's going to get her ass handed to her.  I guess I should feel bad, but what the heck?  She's part of the judge trifecta that freed his buddy Pelley.  Maybe she though that would earn her some credit with the Granite Crew.  Boy, I bet she's surprised."

Artie nodded.  "I think stopping Mark Granite from winning the Presidency is a lost cause. We need to concentrate on preventing his subordinates from taking control of the council as well."

"Great," I shrugged.  "So he takes over?  Why do I care?  I mean, he already has enough pull to help get a murderer off.  So his power is officially recognized?  If that's what people want, who am I to say otherwise?"

My sister finally broke in. "Because they're going to go after Dad next!"

That startled me.  "What are you talking about?  Why would they go after him?"

"Do you know they have a name?  Like a political party would?  They call themselves the Grani-knights."  She showed me a small poster she had got from the hallway.

"Huh.  Looks like it could be Granny Knights."

"It's not.  It's uh.  Like Gran-uh-knights.  And they have an administrative sponsor assisting their organization.  Do you know who it is?"

I thought I had already demonstrated that I was pretty far out of the loop.  "No, I don't have a clue."

"It's Tate," my sister solemnly stated.

"That's impossible.  Why would he do that?  He led the prosecution, for god's sake!"

Diane closed her eyes a second and then began again.  "We can't say for sure, but you know Tate has always been jealous of our Dad.  We think he made a deal with them.  We think that once Granite's side takes control, they are going to help him facilitate an administrative coup."

I thought about that for a minute.  I hesitated, but I was still angry.  "Well, good.  Maybe Dad shouldn't be in charge.  Maybe someone like Tate would be better."

"Really?" skeptically replied my sister.  "I give Dad a lot more credit than you do.  This place hasn't descended into The Lord of the Flies, has it?  We've kept it together under some very tough conditions.  So how do you think it's going to be better if we let the bullies in charge?"

Artie chimed in with something unexpected.  "We've recruited a number of people to act as opposition.  Some of them are current members like Lindsay Starn.  Others are new to running, like me."

"You're running?  You hate politics?" 

"It's time to stand up and be counted.  I can't sit on the sidelines and let these people take over.  I can't even begin to think what it might be like when someone like Robert Pelley gets to do whatever he wants."

I remained stubborn in my resolve.  "I can't.  I just can't.  I just can't do this anymore."

"We have a number of people waiting in the wings ready to move on your decision.  Many who respect your ability to write and speak.  Many people who respect your father.  Many who fear what things will be like with the bullies in charge."

"My father could have stopped that trial!  He could have seen through the charade that Mark Granite put it through.  Yet he just acquiesced.  Do you think I want to help him do anything?"

"You fool!" Diane screamed.  "He loves you so damn much!  And you know that!  But he is the leader of all of us!  And sometimes doing the fair thing hurts!"

Artie was colder about it.  "Forget your Dad then.  Be one of the only kids with a parent here and act like a spoiled brat, I don't care.  You know what I wouldn't give to have my Dad here?  But just forget that for a moment.  They are going to take control if we let them.  And if they do, do you think Lisa will be the only one who suffers by their hands?  It'll just by the tip of a very wicked iceberg.  Or maybe Lisa is the only one of us you care about?"

That hurt worse than Diane's slap.  But he was right.  This was bigger than my Dad.  I couldn't let these monsters have free reign.  I couldn't let them hurt any more people.  "You better be right about this, Artie.  It better make a difference for me to run."

Both Artie and Diane looked relieved.  "It will, Lance.  It will.  You can count on it."

Ah, yes.  If only I was the one who did the counting.